The actor, who played layabout Les Battersby for 10 years, changed his plea yesterday on the second day of his trial at Mold Crown Court.[>

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His barrister Dominic D’Souza said in a statement after the case: “Mr Jones accepts for the first time that he has a drink problem which needs to be addressed. [>

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“It has caused him significant problems over the last five or six years and has resulted in him being in this sit- uation. He very much hopes he will be able to address this in privacy. [>

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“He wants to get his life together and save a marriage which has lasted for over 26 years.”[>

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Jones made no comment before being driven away.[>

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The former soap star, 57, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving by grabbing hold of the steering wheel as his wife Sandra drove their Mercedes at 70mph along the A55 dual carriageway in north Wales in August last year.[>

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He also pleaded guilty to drink-driving for the few seconds that he had hold of the wheel.[>

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A breath test showed him to be two-and-a-half times the legal limit. Sandra told the court that he had said that he was going to kill them both by driving the car under a truck.[>

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A charge of assaulting his wife in a pub car park after the driving incident was left on the file.[>

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Judge Simon Medland said that Jones would not face an immediate jail term as it “was far from being the most serious driving offence”.[>

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Jones was told to stay away from his wife until a date is fixed for sentencing, and is under a 9pm to 7am curfew – apart from some pre-booked charity theatre performances.[>